As far as I know the rules have not changed. I always place a comma after someone's name and before their title.

Although many grammar and punctuation rules have changed over time, this one has not. I agree with gamehen - just because someone else does it does not make it correct.

I can tell you know what you are talking about by seeing how correctly you used your punctuation. Thanks for your comment.

I like to second on what Red said. We have the same problem in our office. The younger generation is not interested in correct grammar. Continue to use the "comma".

Sharon is correct. I completed my paralegal certification last year and the testing covered this rule: No comma is placed between the name and the name and the designation, or between the name and Jr. (John Doe Jr.); It is understood that the title goes with the name.

There is a pause after Jane Doe, so use the comma. The Gregg Reference Manual is correct!

I was trained (very long ago!) to use the comma. I've seen more recent recommendations that suggest using fewer commas to prevent a "busy, cluttered" look/feel to the writing. Especially in a long string of names and certifications, commas can get out of hand! Now I use as few commas as I can get away with and still make the writing easy to understand.
-Danielle

I use a coma.

I am glad to see there are still so many of the "old" school even if they are from the younger generation. The comma is in for me.

Karen, you are correct punctuation is not grammar. It is punctuation.

Regarding comma usage...when writing a series of "things" such as: books, lamps, brooms and clothes...should there be a comma after "brooms"? I have an ongoing discussion with another person I work with...

I attended a grammar seminar last year and there has been a change in this instance ... resulting from a legal case where there were a list of names, possibly in a will, and the last two that read something like, "Jack, John, Susie and Jane", Susie and Jane had to split their third! Had it been written with a comma after Susie, each would have gotten one quarter of a share. So, it depends on what the meaning is as to whether or not you use a comma before the last "and".

Where one needs to be careful is with company names. Some companies purposely do not use a comma in their name and are registered to do business under their name with no comma -- example: my employer -- Caterpillar Inc. Use of a comma would violate our trademark protection guidelines.

I don't think the rule has changed. However, some folks have a personal preference about their own names and how they want them written. Few do not use the comma. My rule of thumb is "when in doubt, check it out" by asking the person directly their preference. If you cannot do that, then use the old rule.

See my comment above about a legal case interpretation. Either is correct but it sometimes depends on the meaning. I was also told in the seminar not to rely 100% on grammar checkers or even Wikipedia (written by anyone) ... go to the official resources with which everyone appears to be familar. Grammar, punctuation, and spelling evolve over time. Computers have changed a lot of things, especially punctuation. I believe the Post Office prefers no punctuation. Punctuation in a person's name or company name should be their personal preference if known. Every effort should be made to find out.

Regarding the two spaces after a period ... this drives me crazy, too! I was taught two spaces. It gives a visual break at the end of the sentence. I have no idea who changed it but I do believe that one space is a acceptable in this day and age.

When offices changed from typewriters to computers, the two spaces after a period rule changed. A good reference book for these changes is, "The PC is not a Typewriter." As a former typesetter of 20+ years who is now a desktop publisher, please only use one space following the period at the end of a sentence. The rule can also be found in the Gregg Reference Manual, Tenth Edition, page 5, section 102. It's because PCs have proportional fonts and the typewriter was monotype.

When word processors first came out I was told that two spaces after a period were no longer necessary because most fonts are proportional. That allows a word to be spaced more closely and still be set off from the next one. If you're using a non-proportional font like Courier, you would probably want to keep the two spaces for readability.

Thank you to all who responded regarding the comma.